A Good Night Walk

by Elisha Cooper

Acclaimed author-illustrator Elisha Cooper paints the quiet magic of a good-night walk as the neighborhood settles into itself at the end of the day.

As a child and parent walk down the block to the bay and turn to walk back home, evening falls upon the neighborhood. As the walk begins, the squirrels are in the yards, the boys are mowing lawns, a neighbor is baking a pie, and someone is mailing a letter. When the child and parent turn to walk back home, the apple pie is down from the windowsill, the leaves are raked up, and the postman has picked up

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A child goes for a walk with their mother before bedtime. As they walk along the street they observe what neighbours are doing and things that happen during that time of day. The illustrations have their nice points but like The Beach by this author I found the colours quite dark and limited. This could have been more enjoyable perhaps as a paper copy.

Read on open library.

[Kirsten Whisler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a nice relaxing book to read before bedtime. The illustrations are simple, yet interesting. I'd definitely suggest it for a bedtime story.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the watercolor illustrations, the pace of the story, ¡y puedo comprendo muchas palabras para practicar español!

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Good Night Walk by Elisha Cooper takes the reader and listener on a journey through the neighborhood on a night walk before bedtime. During this walk, the unseen adult and child notice details about each house they pass along their way such as the smell of apple pie from inside a kitchen, the intensity of the sky in the night, and a black cat who rests in the shade. After each scene, the illustrator pictures the house that the family just passed and looks ahead to the houses in the future. At the end of the book, the adult and child pass by the same houses on their way home, only to notice things outside have changed. Now, it is time for bed!

The book branches on topics of bedtime, community, and perhaps most significantly, the things that often go unnoticed.

Personally, I enjoyed this book since I am one who favors linear plot lines and stories of progression. However, I can easily see this book boring children, especially mid-elementary aged children, as it is slow and subtle with its action. With that being said, I appreciate the pace of this book as it strays from the typical children's book with overwhelming characters who face giant obstacles. The tone of this book is very relaxed and could easily set the mood for a peaceful night's sleep.

I recommend this book specifically to children ages 3-6, and think it makes a great bedtime read-aloud. It challenges the reader and listener to notice finite details that we often overlook. It is also a beautiful reminder to notice and appreciate what goes in our backyard.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the uniqueness of this story. It is a walk up and down the street. On the way up the street, you see the beginnings of little stories at each house, small happenings in each family. On the way back down the street, you see the resolution of each tiny story, each family getting ready for night time. I also enjoyed the illustrations and the different houses.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reader is taken on an interesting early evening walk along a neighbourhood block. There is much to observe as people prepare for night, such as gardeners, birds, mail delivery, trash put out for pickup, certain sounds and smells. Nicely illustrated.

[Julia Crainshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great bedtime story for preschool/early elementary children. Compare sights & sounds of day and night.

[Mellanie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really nice, quiet bedtime story.

[Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, boring story about the close of the day

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A walk through the neighborhood, making observations. A good idea for an activity to do with the kids.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute book

[Kelly Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was....so boring.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done illustrations with a stroll through the neighborhood viewing activities and sounds.

[Karol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely gentle read.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

a nice, simple story about a neighborhood street throughout one day/night.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Checked out from Baraboo Public Library

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely watercolor illustrations. Simple, clear, winding down for the night in the neighborhood story.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Good Night Walk by Elisha Cooper presents a walk taken by a child and parent down the block to the bay and back as evening falls upon their neighborhood. As the walk begins, the squirrels are in the yards, the boys are mowing lawns, a neighbor is baking a pie, and someone is mailing a letter. When the child and parent turn to walk back home, the apple pie is down from the windowsill, the leaves are raked up, and the postman has picked up the mail.

The text is describes the neighborhood in terms of the senses as oak leaves blow in the wind, chattering squirrels chase each other, birds wings flutter, the smell of apple pie wafts along, screen doors slam and lawn mowers roar.

The watercolor and pencil illustrations are a highlight, in Coopers trademark style. I particularly enjoyed the squirrels. The talent of Cooper in showing the moon rise and shadows created by street and window lights is impressive. This could be an effective bedtime story.

I appreciate the talent of the art, but the style makes the action seem distant to me. I would have preferred a few closeups too: of the squirrels, the leaves, or anything really.

For ages 3 to 6, bedtime, community, neighborhood, animals, walking, five senses themes, and fans of Elisha Cooper.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. It's a slow, progressive walk through a neighborhood just before dark, and a walk back to see what has changed. Kids who like seeing progressions will enjoy this - I would have as a child. Some kids could get bored with this.

Ages: 5 - 8

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[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a favorite bedtime book both for our children (ages 5 and 2) and for us. Where some books feel like you have to rush the pictures to keep the flow of the words (books made from songs are especially bad for this) or that you have to rush reading to get to a new picture, the text and pictures of A Good Night Walk together invite the reader to pause at each page. The structure of the story -- a walk down the block and back -- is perfect for the last book of the night.

The watercolors are beautiful and contain hidden surprises to tell stories about alongside what's in the text. I especially like that the pictures show the walk from a first-person point of view; I feel like my children get more immersed in the book because of this.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bedtime walk down the block reveals a lot going on in this neighborhood. The next-door neighbor has finished her gardening, squirrels are making their way to the bird feeder, the smell of apple pie wafts from a window, boys mow the lawn, and the mail carrier delivers the last mail of the day. Over the bay, the full moon rises, as we turn around to walk back the way we came. The mail has been opened, the apple pie eaten, and the sky darkens. Once home, it's time for bed. A nice little bedtime story.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elisha Cooper is starting to grow on me. Reading this book is like going on a walking adventure in the neighborhood with each page bridging to the next. All senses are exercised as the reader "travels" down the street...seeing oak leaves blowing in the wind...hearing chattering squirrels...smelling apple pie. As we turn around and head back for home, nighttime falls. I want to hug this book, it comforts me so! While I found this title to be nicely suited for small group lap reading, I do believe that it may be incorporated into a nighttime storytime and plan to do so this summer.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a twilight into night walk in the neighborhood with
sophisticated illustrations. Sophisticated in the sense that the light in the sky is beginning to dim in each successive illustration and one must observe closely to see this. Also approximately half way through one sees the dawn to dusk lights beginning to glow and by the end of the book that light is much more intense. This is a visual pleasure and experience.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the illustrations for this, especially as they are a perspective of what the parent and child are seeing as they go on their walk. Nice to see just typical neighbor/neighborhood stuff. Not quite what I was looking for in storytime, though it would work. Especially if you have the kids searching the pictures to find what is being talked about. Would work well as a lap-read and read-alone, too.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

40 months - it's a walk through a neighborhood. One might ask why read about it when we could just go for a walk in our neighborhood and make our own observations. This would likely be more interesting and relevant to a three year old. Not a bad book just didn't really have anything to make us want to read it more than once or twice.

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, but I can't put my finger on why. There is just something soothing about this tale of a leisurely walk down the block and back as everyone and everything in the neighborhood winds down for the day. I especially like the reassuring ending: "And all we have seen, we will see again, when we walk along the block in the morning." My son seemed to like this as a bedtime story.

[Shelby Usrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book to read to a child who's getting ready for bed! It's a book that could help a child to start calming down to go to sleep! The illustrations are adorable. This book could also teach a child to learn how to observe their surrounds!

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family goes for a dusk walk along their block. The sky moves from light to dark as night rises.
Illustrations in watercolor and pencil.

2021 storytime theme: STEAM Team - Night Walks

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Kelly Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple story without too much text, but nothing stood out in my reading as particularly special.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of our very favorites - great enough to read nightly. Cooper's art work is wonderful and the text reads like a slow walk in the evening.